Karas Development Trust raises over N$600 000

THE recently revived Karas Development Trust Fund, which went dormant after being established in 1996, raised over N$600 000 at a gala dinner held at Keetmanshoop on Friday.

The Karas Regional Council topped the bidding, followed by Southern Electricity Company (SELCo) and Marco Fishing company. The Council pledged N$200 000 while each of the above-mentioned companies pledged N$50 000.Traditional authorities in the region also up their purses and pledged N$16 000.The money raised will be used to boost socio-economic development in the region. Speaking at the gala event, President Hifikepunye Pohamba commended the Karas Regional Council for its initiative in reviving the trust.’Tonight we are witnessing the rebirth of an ideal. It is the realisation of a dream to have a vehicle that would facilitate the development of Karas,’ Pohamba remarked. He urged the trustees to manage Trust in a transparent manner to the benefit of everyone in the region. ‘You must work to make the Trust durable and sustainable in terms of internal mechanisms as well as its capacity to raise funds for development,’ he said. The President also called on the private sector to become partners in development with the Regional Council and the Trust. The President and his family pledged N$15 000.The Regional Council’s chief executive officer, Saul Kahuika, described the fundraising as a success. ‘The money raised will definitely give a boost to the Trust to achieve its goals,’ he said. Kahuika said more emphasis would be placed on education and entrepreneurship. luqman@namibian.com.na